The AAMC submitted a June 16 response (PDF) to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Advanced Standards and Technology Program (ASTP) and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) request for information (RFI) on the digital health ecosystem, which sought feedback on digital health products for Medicare beneficiaries, data interoperability, and broader health technology infrastructure [refer to Washington Highlights, May 16].
The AAMC’s letter recommended several ways to reduce burden that may be preventing broader adoption of digital health, including extending the telehealth waivers and flexibilities, realigning reimbursement models to recognize clinician effort when leveraging digital health tools, and expanding access to broadband. The letter urged the agencies to prioritize improving the interoperability of electronic health records and empowering patient-driven interoperability to share clinical information while ensuring that providers can control which data from outside sources should be integrated into the medical record. The AAMC’s response also reiterated support for improving access and use of evidence-based, clinically relevant technology to improve patient health and well-being.